It is likely
that I wouldn’t have picked up the book In
The Land of Blue Burqas on my own had it not been for my mom and sister. Upon their recommendation I gladly launched
into its 300 pages and found myself engrossed in an unexpectedly,
thought-provoking heart-felt, beautiful story.
It is not a fictionalized story, but a true account of a modern American
woman’s five year immersion in the people and culture of Afghanistan while
heading up work for a non-government organization. She draws back the curtain to reveal her
experiences for our Western eyes to see, not with her back towards us saying “here
, see what it was like” in the same manner
a museum docent describes an artifact, but rather she pushes back the
curtain while partly concealed by it
herself, her face towards us beckoning us to at least poke your head in and relive the lessons learned with her. That is largely what this book is
about—lessons learned.
The cultural and religious variances between
the author and her Afghan neighbors taught her many things about people, life
and most importantly, about God Himself.
These lessons can be lumped into themes, which the Author has divided
into the book’s 16 chapters. She asks (and
in some measure answers) the questions:
-
How do we deal with and respond to hatred and
insult?
-
What is forgiveness and what allows us to
practice it?
-
Who protects us from sin?
-
Who is responsible for judging?
-
How do we please God?
-
What is the purpose and importance of prayer and
fasting?
Her answers
to these questions are anything but dry.
She recounts her tales in the true voice and spirit of storytelling, to
the point your own breath is suppressed with the same stifling heat of the
trench coat the Author must wear under the desert sun so neither the leering
eyes of the men she passes nor the laws and rules they are bound to keep cause
her any trouble. Your own body relaxes
as she sits and leans against the cool wall in the heat of the day, eating
almonds and candies with friends. You
experience the same astonished-puzzlement as her neighbor explains the laws and
rules found in a holy book they are able to read.
Perhaps the most notable feature of this
book was that with the progression of each chapter, my amazement and awe at
the beauty of the Gospel of Jesus Christ grew.
Sometimes the wonder of what you have is dimmed by its familiarity and
is only seen once again for what it really is when contrasted with something else.
That is what this book did for me.
It reignited a deep sense of gratitude as I saw once again that all the
other religions of the world—no matter how “similar” they are to Christianity nor
how many “good and nice” people believe otherwise—none of them has anything to compare
to the glory of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!!
But not only did this book fan the flame of my love of truth, it also ignited
a distinct compassion I had not known before.
It is a compassion resulting from knowing the truth and yearning for
others to understand the same, realizing that there is no room or reason for
pride in the understanding I possess and that other people are blind to see.
“I (too) once was lost, but now am found. T’was
blind and now I see.”
In The Land of Blue Burqas is a volume
high up on my list of both enjoyable and recommended reads. If you find yourself desiring to know more
about the culture and faith of the Afghan people or to have our own faith
challenged and refreshed, may I suggest you turn to this book?
